Glass-melting furnace.



` No. 354,273. 'PUBMED M AY 21. 19o?. q'. r. cox,. GLASSMELTING FURN'AGB., APPLIQATIONJILBD SEPT. 6. 190'5.V

2 suina-umm.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFI- oHAnLEs F. cox, oFBRmGEToN, NEW JERSEY.V

GLASS-MENING. FuRNAcE.

To all 'wh/0712, it may concern:

' Beit known that I, CHARLEsfECoX, afcitizen of the United States, and a resident of Bridgeton, in the county of Cumberland and State of 'New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Glass- Melting Furnaces, of which the following vis a specification.

. My invention relates to glass melting furnaces and has for its object to provide means for .facilitating the withdrawal of molten" glass at several points.

illustrated in the accompanying. drawings, in

which The features of arrangement and construction by which I obtain the desired \results will be pointed out in theappended claims, a specific embodiment of my invention being 'Figure lis a horizontal section of a furnacecontaining my improvements taken on line 11of Fig. 2 and Fig. 2 is 'a vertical sectio of same on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

, .A represents the refining or settling cham@ ber at the working end of an ordinary 'contmuous glass melting furnace, separated from the fusing or melting chamber A by the-cross Wall A2. rPhe breast'wall Bof the refining chamber A is formed with a number of semi-circular spaces B. In each of these spaces B" is mounted in suitable bearings,- an auxiliary tank C.` Each of these tanks C is supported on a shaft D, and isarranged to be v mating'ball race'.

rotated as Will-be moreclearly described hereinafter; Upon the'end of each .shaft D isse'cured 4a turntable D provided withl a ball race and o o-operating with a support E" mountedl on a shaft E and provided with a easily rotated. Av'W-orm Wheel G, is mount ed on each of the shafts D, which shafts are" A each provided with a spline D2 which pre'- vents therods fromturning relatively to the 'worm Wheels, but permits the said shaftsD and the tanks C to be' raised or lowered as maybe desired.1 The worm wheels G mesh Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed September 6,1905.- Serial N0.27'7,2l30.

`medium of the bevel pinions-'L'and L. theshaft K is further mounted a gear wheel Balls F are interposed be- 'tween said-turntable D and v'support E and. are adapted to travelin the b all races of the lsaid parts, thus forming a ball bearing for each of the tanks@ to -enable them to be The shaft K is located Patented may 21, l19,07.

Keand transmits motion thereto through the M which meshes with a pinion N mounted on the driving shaft O `of themotor O.-

Motion is thus transmitted from thefmotor O to the shaft K and from said shaftK to the two shafts K said s hafts'K and Kin turn transmitting movement 4to the short shafts H and thusrotating each of the auxiliary tanks C. It will benoticed .that the-5'! drive shafts K and K are arranged at sub stantially right angles toI each other or in the form of a U, this arrangement insurin an equal and direct 'drive for .each tankan l also permitting of a compact arrangement.- i.

screw-threaded a part of Vits distance, as at 1) In order toprovide for. a vertical a'djust-'-' ment of the auxiliary tanksC, the shaf t E is' i and projects through a stationary bearing chamber Q.. A gear 1wheel P is mounted on theshaft E to 'turn therewith and is in mesh 'with an elongated pinion R mounted on "a frod R also journaledjin .the chamber Q and having a hand `wheel S secured to its free end.

Thus as the `hand wheel S is rotated motion is'transmitted to thepinionl and to the gear wheel Protating the shaft'E and raising the. support E through Qhemediumof the screw threaded portion Pfwhich engages .one walll of the chamber As the `support Eis thus lifted',1it` in 4turnl raises the turntable D andthe shaftfD ailwith it the It.- is to be under-4 stood that the worm wheel Gfdoes not-follow' corresponding tank Cl the shaft D, but remains.stationary-as `far as main stationary and do not rotate.v

T. aresluiceways which entend mainl furnace `to each ofthe auxiliary tanks Cy'and through whichvthe "overflow from the vertical movement'fis concerned, as vbefore l-pointed'ol'it v It' is tobe 'further understood vthat-as .the tanks() are'rotated throughthe lmedium of the gearingf herein'before' described the supportV E l and' its v"j mrts' remain from 'the loo main` furnace passes into the snixiliary tanks`` Should it become necessary.or-'desirable to prevent furthernietal from entering anyone yofthe auxiliary tanks the 'corresponding sluiceway may be raised through the mediln'nv ofthe rod .U,jwhichis pivotally connected to- 'l a lever V' fulcrumedratvvupon the bearifr1g chamber )By swingingthev lever V, the

vrod ,U is raisedand withitthefsluicewayf'T communicating with the tank Qwhichitl is' desired to .pl'ace out ofcommission,,-thlsraise ff which are provided for this purpose.

v nace downwardly `into said auxiliary tanks.

v connected together by means of rods Z for with the working of theauxili ary tanks.

'.scribed.

:may bebrought down close to the glass line auxiliary vtanks Without having said heat j fering with each other;

ing of said sluicewajT preventing any more l metal from flowing into said tank. It is to be understood that' each sluiceivay is provided with a raising'device of the lkind just de- Wis a hollowmantle bar located over veach auxiliary tank C, lthrough which water or other -cooling medium is adapted to circulate through the inlet and outlet pipes W', VW,

Bv. supporting'the top of -the furnace and side Wall above glass'line which are made of refractorymaterial on the mantle bar W, it

of the auxiliary tanks, thus bringing the intense heat of theinterior of the furnace proper into `direct contact with the glass of said come into contact With-a current of cold air fromfw'ithout; In other Words, the top X of thefurnac'e forms a sort of cap or hood which partly covers each auxiliary tank and directs the heat from the kvinterior of the main fur- It vwill be observed that the heat of the main furnace willl always reach the auxiliary tanks, `whether the sl'uiceWayT is in the raised or in supply of glass does not cut off the supply of heat. Furthermore, the top or hood X extends over the melting'chamber A as well as over the refining chamber A and partly over the auxiliary tanks C, 'forming a continuous heating chamber in which the temperature will be practically uniform. Y are braces the purpose of fastening the'furnace together.

In operation, the molten glass overflows through the sluiceways-T into the auxiliary tanks C from which the metal may bel removed by a gathering machine or in any other suitable manner. Each of said auxiliary tanks is kept revolving slowly so that the molten glass contained therein will be brought under the cap or hood of the furnace and adjacent to the breast Wall, thus reheating all portions of said glass successively and keeping said glass in a constantly molten condition, By locating the auxiliary tanks in a series of semi-circular spaces in the breast wall of the main furnace, the said tanks in addition are kept hot by radiation, and 'the contents of said tanks are vthus kept in properly molten conditionat all times while the furnace is in use. Further,' w ith the construction shown it is possible to securely brace said furnace Withoutl interfering With lmy construction molten glass may be Withdrawn at several points, that'is from each of the auxiliary tanks. A number of 4gathering or other machines may thus'be supplied at the same-time, without inter- Various modifi ations maybe made''With-l of recesses, a vertically movable auxiliary tank ineach of said recesses, `a means of 'communication betweenlsaid main tank and each of said auxiliary tanks, to permit some of, the contents of thel main tank to enter each of said auxiliary tanks,.and means for vertically adjusting each of. said' auxiliary tanks.

2. In a melting furnace, a mainftank, a plurality of auxiliary tanks arranged around said main tank, sluiceways for permitting vthe discharge of some of the contents of the main tank into `the ,auxiliary tanks, means for continuouslyv rotating said auxiliary tanks, means for vertically vadjusting leach of said auxiliary tanks, and means for raising 'said sluiceways so that the discharge of the contents of the main tank to the auxiliary tanks will be stopped.

3. In a melting furnace, a main tank, a plurality of auxiliary tanks in communication with said main tank, means for vertically adjusting said auxiliary tanks, hollow mantle bars located in close proximity to said auxiliary tanks, and means forcirculating a cooling agent through said mantle bars.

4C. In a melting furnace, a main tank having a breastwall with an .external recess, an auxiliary tank set in said recess, and means for transferring some ofthe contents of the main tank to the auxiliary tank.

IOO

5. In a melting furnace, a main tank havl ing a breastwall with an external recess, an auxiliary tank set in said recess, a top or hood extending over the main tank and partlyover the auxiliary tank, leaving a portion of the latter tankprojecting beyond the hood, and means for transferring some of the contents of the main tank to the auxiliary. tank.

6. In a melting furnace,.a main-tank having a breastwall with a circularly curved external recess, anauxiliary tank rotatablyv mounted in said recess,`and means for transferring some of the contents of the main tank to the auxiliary tank.

' 7. In a melting furnace, al main. tank hav- 'ing a breastwall .with 'a circularly'curved external recess, an. auxiliaryA tank rotatably mounted in. said recess, la hood extending over the main tank anda portion of the auxiliary tank, so that the outer portion of the latter is exposed, and means for transferring some of the: contents of te main tank to the auxiliary tank; i f

l8. vIn a melting furnace, a main tank having a 'breastwall with a' circularly curved exvternal, recess, ani auxiliary tank rotatably mountedin said recess, and projecting'tliere- IOS from with its outer ortion, a hood extending over the main tank and over the auxiliary tank to about its center, and means for trans- Yferring, some of the contents of the main tank to th ,auxiliary tank.

9. In a melting furnace, a main tank provided with a cross, wall dividing ,it into a l melting chamber and a refining chamber, the

breastwall of the refining chamber having a ,circularly curved external recess, a rotary auxiliary tank set' in said recess, means for transferring some of the contents of the main tank to the auxiliary tank, and a hood extending over both chambers of the main tank and over the inner portion of the auxiliary tank, the space below the hood being in permanent communication with the-auxiliary tank and with both chambers of the main tank. i

l0. In a melting furnace, a main tank provided with a cross 4wall dividing it into a meliting chamber and a refining chamber, the

sage to the auxiliary tank is afforded to' the heating gases.

- 11. In a vmelting furnace, a main tank, an' auxiliary tank adjacent thereto, means for transferring some of the contents of the main tank to the auxiliary tank, a hood extending over the main tank and over the innerportion of the auxiliary tank. and a hollenv mantle bar located at the lower edge of the hood lmmediately adjacent to the auxiliary tank, and ad apted to cont-ain a cooling Huid.

12. In a meltingffnhrnacc al'l main tank, having external recesses,auxiliary tanks set in said recesses, bracing devices vengaging the main tank between said recesses, so as not to interfere with the auxiliary tanks, and means for transferring some of the contents of the main tank to the auxiliary tanks.

13.' In a melting furnace, a main tank having Ia curved breastwall, rotary auxiliary tanks adjacent to said wall, two shafts extending adjacent to vthe last auxiliary tanks ofthe series, a cross shaft forming a connection between said shafts and extending adjacent to the central auxiliary tanks, and means for turning the auxiliary tanks by the rotation of said shafts. Y

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence'of two subscri bing witnesses.

Witnesses:

WM. A.' LoeUn, FRANK R. LoGUE. 

